Lot 104
1834 Classic Head Plain Four Half Eagle Gold VG/F
Sold October 23, 2025
- Price realized
- $850
Price realized is the winning bid (hammer price) and excludes buyer’s premium.
About this lot
Estimated Value: $800-1,000
Origin: United States
Denomination: Five Dollars
Year: 1834
Mint: Philadelphia
Grade: Estimated VG/F
Metal: 90% gold, 10% copper
Weight: 8.35g +/-
Additional Description: The 1834 Classic Head Half Eagle, bearing the distinctive “Plain 4” in its date, occupies a pivotal moment in the evolution of American gold coinage. This $5 gold piece—commonly called a Half Eagle, was introduced as part of a sweeping monetary reform under President Andrew Jackson, aimed at recalibrating the nation’s coinage system to better align with market realities. Prior to 1834, U.S. gold coins were often undervalued relative to their bullion content, leading to widespread melting and hoarding. The Coinage Act of that year lowered the gold content in both the Half Eagle and Eagle denominations, restoring their practical role in commerce.
Designed by William Kneass, the Classic Head motif marked a sharp stylistic departure from the more formal Capped Bust design it replaced. Liberty now appears younger, almost Greco-Roman in profile, with flowing curls and a fillet inscribed LIBERTY. The reverse retained the familiar eagle with shield and clasped arrows and olive branch, though without the IN GOD WE TRUST motto, which would not appear until decades later. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, the 1834 issue exists in two primary varieties: one with a “Crosslet 4” in the date and another with a “Plain 4.”
Lot details
- Lot
- 104
- Closed
- October 23, 2025
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